SustainYou

Chai Tea

Makes 2 servings

1 1/2 c water
1 inch stick cinnamon
8 cardamon pods
8 whole cloves
2/3 c milk
6 tsp sugar (or to taste)
3 tsp loose black tea

Put water in saucepan. Add cinnamon, cardamon, and cloves. Bring to a boil. Cover, turn heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the milk and sugar, and bring to a simmer again. Throw in tea, cover pan and turn off heat. After 2 minutes, strain tea into mugs and serve immediately.

(When I did not have loose black tea I just put in some tea bags and that seemed to work pretty well too).

Baked Stuffed Acorn Squash
(my favorite holiday/wintertime recipe)

1/3 c butter or margarine, melted in microwave

1 small acorn squash

1/2 c fine bread crumbs from wheat bread or stuffing in a box (I used white bread and it also worked fine)

1/3 c chopped walnuts (don’t bother measuring, just sprinkle some in there

3 tbsp brown sugar packed (come to think of it I don’t actually measure ANY of these ingredients, but whatever we’ll write what my mom gave me)

1/2 tsp salt if using plain bread crumbs

1/4 tsp nutmeg

pinch of cinnamon and ground clove

optional raisins, dried cranberries, or apple chips

Directions: melt the butter in microwave. Wash squash, pierce, and microwave 2 minutes on high. Cut in half lengthwise, remove seeds and fibers.

Mix together all other ingredients. Stuff squash with the stuffing.

Cook on high in microwave 6-8 minutes in a shallow pan, covered, until tender. You could bake them in the oven too. Or you could microwave, then broil the tops in the oven at the end to make them a little crispy (make sure you take of the saran wrap first if you’re doing that!)

Bon appetit!